The international signing period begins today—delayed by the ongoing pandemic—and put down your beverage (or sit down lest you drop your phone): The Nats are expected to sign second-rated IFA Armando Cruz for $4 million. I’d say SS but take a look at the Baseball America Top 50 and they’re all shortstops. The soon-to-be-17-y.o. (tomorrow) …
If you need a break from yesterday’s stark reminder that, yes, it can happen here… well, maybe not. Baseball America passes along news that MLB has decreed—as expected—that Spring Training will be staggered: MLB and AAA players first, then everybody else. The upshot is that most of the minor leagues will be delayed in 2021. …
About the only thing this post has in common with its five predecessors (take a peek at the URL string) is that it’s primary purpose is to show that we’re still here, the lights are still on, etc.
With any luck, the past will be prologue and we’ll get a transaction post soon. Then again, we’re barely ahead of the pace of a year ago (a.k.a. Month 5 of the current 17-month offseason) with just three such posts since the end of the World Series.
As the headline suggests, I’ve begun rewriting the player capsules and have gotten through the first three categories. It’s not difficult per se but it does feel perfunctory. For most of the entries, there’s almost nothing new; For those that are new, there’s the caveat that what’s new is what’s been told, not seen.
Until next time…
For better (no, not really) or worse (or the worst), 2020 will be unforgettable, decidedly incromulent. But the need to keep pageviews coming the site going remains. So here’s ten stories that defined 2020, unranked and more or less in chronological order. ICE-COLD OFFSEASON I suspect January 2021 will be even more frigid, but the …
With a gaping chasm at first base in 2020 and the impending retirement of 2019 incumbent Ryan Zimmerman, the Washigton Nationals traded away a pitcher (Wil Crowe) and a prospect (Eddie Yean) to acquire 2019 N.L. All-Star Josh Bell from the Pittsburgh Pirates. Both RHPs had been named to the 2021 NationalsProspects.com Watchlist and were …
Today is the beginning of Festivus, a time for the airing of grievances, but really hasn’t that been a leitmotif for 2020? But it’s roughly a midpoint in the year-end holidays, with Chanukah and Solstice past us, Christmas, Boxing Day, and Kwanzaa coming soon, and let’s not forget the unveiling of the 2021 Banished Words …
As the worst year in nearly 15 centuries comes to a close, it’s time to look forward to what 2021 might bring. Unlike far too many Americans—but fortunately, not a majority—I know the calendar changing to 2021 won’t magically make 2020 go away. If anything, the next six months are probably going to be harder …
A full-fledged press release may come later on, but yesterday the Washington Post reported on the full-season manager lineup for 2021: Rochester (AAA) – Matt LeCroy Harrisburg (AA) – Tripp Keister Wilmington (A+) – Tommy Shields Fredericksburg (A-) – Mario Lisson LeCroy returns to the managerial ranks after spending 2020 as “quality control coordinator.” This …
This is it, for better or worse (probably worse). It’s the earliest release since 2012, arguably because I’m pretty damn sure we’re back to a wait-and-see mode for another 10-12 weeks at least. Let’s see if I can address the changes made (or suggested) since last month: • Added Israel Pineda to the C’s – …
As noted in the comments, the Rule 5 draft came and went without a single player coming to or going from the Nationals organization. No married or divorced players, either.
I’d been waiting to finalize the 2021 Watchlist until this, so that’ll probably be my next post. But after that? Yikes.
Perhaps we’ll still be talking about the aftershocks of the MLB takeover. Field of Schemes notes that the 18 SOL teams were recipients of $249MM in public funding. As previously noted, there may be cause for lawsuits, but will there be the stomach to pursue them in the current climate?
Otherwise, I think we’re looking at another long, cold, slow winter.